Who can make a request?

Concordia students, faculty (including retired and visiting faculty), staff and BCI or OCUL card holders in good standing, who
wish to borrow a library item that is not immediately available, may request it through the library catalogue.

How to make a request

While looking at the record for the item you would like to request in the library catalogue,
click on the Request button, at the top of the record.

Note that when your item is ready for pickup, you will be notified by email (if you have
provided us with your email address). If you are an undergraduate student, you will then have three days (including weekends) to pick up your item, and if you are a graduate student, or faculty, you will have five days (including weekends) to pick up items, except for high demand items.

Number of requests allowed

The maximum number of requests for undergraduate and graduate students at one time is ten (10). For faculty it is thirty (30).

Material that can and cannot be requested

Requests can be placed on all types of materials that circulate, except Reserve, laptops, Technology Sandbox items, and some types of media materials. Requests cannot be placed on non-circulating items such as items from Reference or Special Collections.

Pickup location

When placing a request, be sure to select the appropriate pickup location (where you will pick up the item once it is ready).
You can choose:

Webster Library (SGW)

Vanier Library (Loyola)

*Audiovisual and interlibrary loan materials on hold are kept behind the service desks.

Note: The pickup location of a requested item may be changed in your My Library Account. Should you have any
questions about requesting, do not hesitate to contact library staff at any service desk.

Recalls on longer loans

If you want to request an item that is borrowed by another user, follow the normal requesting procedure (click the "Request" button in the library catalogue); a recall will automatically be generated. The current borrower will be informed that the item has been requested by another user and the due date may be changed. The current borrower is allowed to keep the item for a minimum of 14 days. Undergraduate students will be given 4 days to return a recalled item; graduate students and faculty will be given 10 days.

High demand items

When an item has three or more holds placed at one time, it becomes a “high demand” item, which means that, the next time the item is checked out, it will be checked out for three days only, so as to allow a greater number of people quick access to the item. The three day loan period will continue until there are no more holds on the item, then it will go back to being a regular loan.

Request refusals

Self-hold requests may be refused for a variety of reasons, including:

you have reached the maximum number of requests allowed

your circulation record has expired

you have overdue items and/or fines outstanding.

If you are having trouble requesting an item, do not hesitate to contact library staff at any service desk.

When a request is successful

The system will place your name in the queue for the next available copy.

Since it is impossible to know precisely when the request will be filled, please log into My Library Account to verify the status of your request.

An email notification will be sent to you as soon as the item is ready for pickup.

Items ready for pickup are kept on the holdshelf for a maximum of three days for undergraduates and five days for graduates and faculty.

What if I cannot pick up my item in time?

If you are unable to pick up your item(s) in the time period specified in your hold pickup notice, then do the following:

cancel your hold

place a new hold on the item(s)

As long as another user has not placed a hold on the item(s), you will receive a new pickup notice with a new timeframe for picking up your material. If there is another hold on the item, your hold request will be put in a queue.